Help:Japanese Terminology
This is a glossary of Japanese romaji terms used in the Gintama 銀魂 Wikia only. Contents: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B ''Bakufu'' 幕府 (ばくふ) : This refers to the ruling Shogunate. In Gintama world, this would refer to the Tokugawa shogunate, currently led by Tokugawa Shige Shige 徳川 茂茂. In the real world, the Tokugawa Shogunate come to an end in 1868 after ruling for more than 200 years. Pronunciation is similar to bark-foo. ''Boke'' ボケ : This refers to the funny man or idiot in a comedic skit, typically with another partner delivering the penetrating riposte in the role of the ''tsukkomi''. C ''Chibi'' 禿び or チビ (ちび) : This refers to smaller and/or cuter versions of the manga/anime characters, typically with over-sized heads. ''Chinpira'' チンピラ (ちんぴら) : Variously used to mean hoodlum, small-time yakuza, hooligan or punk. D ''Daimyo 大名 (だいみょう) : Refers to a Japanese feudal lord in ancient times. ''Dango '' 団子 (だんご) : Refers to a Japanese dumpling and sweet made from mochiko (rice flour), related to mochi. It is often served with green tea. There are many different varieties of dango. Dojo :See ''Doujou. ''Doujou'' 道場 (どうじょう) : Refers to a column-free hall used for martial arts or sword-skill training. The English language has assimilated this phrase as dojo. F ''Futon'' 布団 (ふとん) :Japanese traditional style bedding consists of both a mattress and a duvet. G ''Genjina'' 源氏名 (げんじな) :Professional name adopted by hostesses and geisha. H ''Haiyuu'' 俳優 (はいゆう) : Actor (male), though increasingly being used to refer to actresses as well. ''Hakama'' 袴 (はかま) : A type of traditional Japanese trousers. Hakama are tied at the waist and fall approximately to the ankles. They are worn over a kimono ''Haori'' 羽織 (はおり) : It is a hip- or thigh-length kimono jacket which adds formality. Haori were originally reserved for men, until fashions changed at the end of the Meiji period. They are now worn by both men and women, though women's kimono jackets tend to be longer. ''Hikikomori'' 引き籠り (ひきこもり) : Refers to a person who withdraws from society, shunning people in general. Often used to refer to jobless [[#Otaku| otakus]] who stay at home all day indulging in their ACG(anime, comics, games) hobby. ''Hitaikakushi'' 額隠 (ひたいかくし) :It is a white piece of triangular paper or cloth worn on the head by Yūrei in Japanese folklore. I ''Inugami'' 犬神 (いぬがみ) : Dog god/spirit. A spiritual possession by the spirit of a dog. J ''Joyuu'' 女優 (じょゆう) : Actress. Cannot be used to refer to male actors. K ''Kasa'' 笠 (かさ) : Refers to any of several sorts of traditional hats of Japan. See Wikipedia Link for more details. ''Katana'' 刀 (かたな) : Single-edged sword used by Japanese swordsmen for combat, usually 60cm in length or more and technically called 大刀 daitou aka Big Sword. The names given to the swords typically follow the family name of the swordsmith or family of swordsmiths who made the particular series of swords. Note that katanas are always carried by the user with the cutting-edge facing up, as opposed to its predecessor, tachi, which is carried with the cutting-edge facing down. See Wikipedia Link for more details. ''Kiseru'' 煙管 (きせる) : A thin tobacco pipe, commonly found before cigarettes are mass-produced in Japan, and they frequently serve as a symbol of the owner's social standing due to the precious metals encapping the ends of the pipes. Some of the metals used include gold, silver, bronze, iron, etc. For more details, refer to Wikipedia Link, full details in Japanese version. ''Konbini'' コンビニ or コンベニ for short, コンビニエンスストア kon-bi-ni-en-su su-to-a in full : Convenience store. ''Kotatsu'' 炬燵 (こたつ) : Low, wooden table frame covered by a , upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, often built into the table itself. Commonly used to stay warm during winter. ''Kunai'' 苦無 (くない) : A metal leaf-shaped blade and a handle with a ring on the pommel for attaching a rope. It is a multi-functional weapon commonly associated with ninjas. For more details, refer to Wikipedia and Wikipedia Japanese Link. M ''Magatama'' 勾玉 or 曲玉 (まがたま) : Curved, comma-shaped beads made of primitive stone and earthen materials in the early period and originally served as decorative jewelry. By the end of the Kofun period, Magatama were almost made exclusively of jade and functioned as ceremonial and religious objects. ''Mangaka'' 漫画家 or マンガ家 (まんがか) : This refers to the comics author or artist, manga is the romaji for Japanese comics, ka referring to author/artist. ''Miko'' 巫女 or 神子 (みこ) : Refers to the different kinds of women helpers, not just mediums or shrine maidens (who have the sacred function of conveying the gods' words through oracles), designated to serve specific deities at shrines during the Yamato period, now commonly seen conducting other religious rituals (including classical religious dance routines) and weddings as well. It is one of the jobs in Japan that falls outside the purview of the 'Gender Equality In Employment Act' (男女雇用機会均等法 danjo koyou kikai kintou hou). Only 巫女 can be read as fujo. O ''Okama'' 御釜 or オカマ (おかま) : A derogatory term that refers to male homosexuals, effeminate men or transvestites. ''Otaku'' オタク (おたく) : Refers to a geek, nerd or increasingly more common, ACG (anime, comics, games) enthusiast. R ''Romaji'' 羅馬字 or ローマ字 (ろまじ) : This refers to the romanised spelling of Japanese Kanji or Kana characters used primarily in, though not limited to, the English Language. S ''Sake'' 酒 (さけ) : Japanese rice wine. ''Sakura'' 桜 or 櫻 (さくら) : Sakura is the Japanese term for cherry blossom. Particularly the Japanese cherry, Prunus serrulata. ''Samurai'' 侍 (さむらい) : Japanese warriors. Members of the powerful military caste in feudal Japan. ''Seiyuu'' 声優 (せいゆう) : Voice-actor (genderless). See also 俳優 haiyuu, 女優　''joyuu''. ''Seppuku'' 切腹 (せっぷく) : This refers to the ritual of self-disembowelment as a form of punishment meted out by superiors to subordinates. ''Shogun'' 将軍 (しょうぐん) : Literally means a 'General', a Shougun usually has his own army, presiding over his own fiefdom. The English language has assimilated this phrase as shogun. ''Sushi'' 寿司 (すし) : Sushi is the Japanese preparation and serving of cooked vinegared rice combined with varied ingredients. T ''Takoyaki'' たこ焼き or 蛸焼 (たこやき) : Also known as Octopus Dumpling Balls, this is a common and popular Japanese hot snack originated from Osaka and is an indispensable snack during a Japanese summer festival. ''Tamagokakegohan'' 卵かけご飯 (たまごかけごはん) : Also known as Tamago gohan, this is a common Japanese breakfast meal consisting of boiled rice topped or mixed with raw egg and soy sauce. ''Tankoubon'' 単行本 (たんこうぼん) : Refers to a single-volume publication that can be a one-off publication or separate volumes in a series, typically by the same author. For Gintama 銀魂 in particular, each tankoubon published by Jump comics is typically released only after a number of manga chapters have been serialised in the Weekly Shounen Jump (hereafter referred to as WJ). However, tankoubon contents may not be exactly identical to the WJ, as there may be some minor re-draws/re-annotation or touching up of the artwork prior to publication. For more details on this type of literature, refer to Wikipedia Link. ''Tsukkomi'' ツッコミ (つっこみ) : This refers to the straight man's role in a comedic skit, typically with another partner playing the ''boke'' role. Y ''Yakisoba Pan'' 焼きそばパン (やきそばぱん) : Commonly available at local festivals or convenience store, it is a savory Japanese stir fried noodles stuffed in the middle of a hot dog bun, garnished with mayonnaise and shreds of pickled ginger. ''Yakuza'' やくざ or ヤクザ : Commonly used to refer to the Japanese mafia members or groups, though it can refer to professional gambler or being good-for-nothing. Pronunciation is similar to ya-ku-za. ''Yukata'' 浴衣 or ヤクザ (ゆかた) : A casual summer kimono. Go back to Top of Page __INDEX__ category:help